Breaking Habits
by x.BadWolfRose.x
Summary: Ten years after Holly's unexplained departure, 28 year old Artemis spends his time carrying out his same old routine. Until he meets someone that causes him to rethink his life. Can a man change, or do old habits die hard? UPDATE - appearance from Holly!
1. chapter one

_**This is a new story I'm toying with. I took down my other fic as it needed adjustment. I've written quite a few chapters for this already so updates should be pretty fast, providing the feedback is good. My first shot at introducing an OC. Personally don't find her too mary-sueish, but I'll leave the judgment up to you. Enjoy.**_

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"Drink?"

Artemis smiled coyly. He was used to this. Sitting at a bar alone always brought unwanted attention from the opposite sex. He looked around at his addressor and blinked. The voice came from behind the bar. He laughed at himself softly, he had become so accustomed to the interest of females that he had become arrogant.

"Whiskey. No ice. And make sure the glass is clean." He masked his self-contempt with bitter malice towards the unfortunate bargirl. She however remained un-phased.

"We haven't got any ice anyway and you'll get whatever glass you're given." The girl didn't even look up as she said this, splashing the drink into an "apparently" clean glass. Artemis was slightly taken aback. He was not accustomed to answering back. People were usually intimidated by his icy manner. He wasn't going to let this girl get away with anything.

"Thank you." He said tartly, as the girl pushed the glass towards him, brown liquid spilling over the sides slightly. He sighed dramatically, pulling out a handkerchief from his top pocket. He was going to enjoy taunting this girl. She watched him with an expression of vague interest as he delicately mopped up the spilt drink. He sipped the glass and winced, slightly.

"Something wrong?" She asked with obvious unconcern.

"No…" He mused, waiting for further questions. He had drawn the girl in, now he would toy with her, before breaking her down. It wasn't very satisfying, but it was a hobby. However when he looked up she had turned away from him and was serving other customers. Artemis was incredulous. No other women he had ever met, save one, had ever managed to resist his sly wit and malicious charm, why should this barmaid be any exception.

"Evidently the staff in this place are as sullied as the glasses." It was a cheap shot, but he wanted her attention. He stared at her back as she replied, continuing with her chores.

"And what exactly do you mean by that…'sir'?"

Artemis was beginning to be irritated by this infernal woman. She might as well have been ignoring him altogether for all the consideration she was giving him. Yet this only made him crave her attention more.

"Well, I would have thought this a respectable sort of place."

"Isn't it?" She asked, turning round to face him.

"Well, if anything, I find it rather… smutty." He looked pointedly at her cleavage, provocatively on show under the low scoop of her vest top. "I find it hard to believe that a place like this would invoke that sort of uniform."

She laughed. Artemis became angrier still. He had practically called her a slut, yet she just seemed to just be playing with him. And if anyone was going to do the playing around here, it would be him.

"What's your name?" He asked innocently. _- know your enemies-_ he thought.

"Sorry." She replied tartly "I don't give away my details to customers."

"Company policy?" asked Artemis.

"No. Personal policy." She smiled sweetly. Artemis was infuriated. How dare this woman be so immune to his ploy? He decided that it had gotten personal. This was no longer a hobby, this was serious now. He was going to conquer this impertinent woman, then make her wish she'd never met him. Time to turn on the charm.

"I take it you don't accept offers from customers either then?" he enquired further, thickening the plot in his mind.

"Not unless I like the look of them." She winked cheekily at him.

"And do you like the look of me?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Very well." Artemis took a swig from his glass. "I want to know your first impressions of me. Describe me in three words."

The girl paused for thought. "Intelligent." She began. Artemis was taken aback by the compliment. He had expected the opposite. Banter usually based itself around insults.

"Why thank you." He inclined his head. The girl laughed.

"But also condescending and discourteous." Artemis laughed in spite of himself. The flowery language was a blatant joke, an attempt to match his intelligence. If only she knew…

"I grant you the first two words… but the third?" Artemis raised his eyebrows.

"If you didn't want to be labelled as such, you shouldn't have called me a slut." She replied craftily, before turning back to her other customers.

"Am I allowed to do the same for you?" Artemis asked. The girl answered with her back to him.

"Only if I'm going to like it."

"Well, I've already used the word smutty…" The girl sucked in her breath.

"Oooh. I dunno if I like that one. How about 'attractive'?"

"Clumsy" continued Artemis.

"I prefer inelegant."

"And I'm going to return the favour with the word 'discourteous'." She whipped around to face him, leaving a customer angrily muttering.

"How, may I ask, have I been 'discourteous' to you in any way?"

"You refused to tell me your name." Artemis gave her his best grin. She laughed and put her hands up in defeat.

"All right, all right, you win." She looked into his eyes and frowned. "Your eyes don't match." She said simply, changing the subject.

"And now you are making personal remarks! That only adds to your already marred reputation I'm afraid." The girl raised an eyebrow at him, picking up his glass and refilling it, taking special care not to spill anything.

"Here you are sir… this one's on the house. For sheer bloody entertainment value."

"Thank you." Artemis inclined his head, accepting the drink as she turned back to her regulars once more. He downed the drink in one before standing up to go. He noticed her turn her head slightly as she sensed him move. Artemis smiled to himself. He had her, hook, line and sinker. He took out a pen from his top pocket and scribbled a message on an overturned beer mat. Then, replacing the lid of his pen, he picked up his jacket and left, leaving the note on the bar. He smiled to himself as he walked past, glancing through the window. Sure enough, she had picked up the note. Phase one of his 'masterplan' was complete.

The barmaid picked up the beer-mat, attempting to hide the gesture by wiping the bar surface at the same time. On the back of the mat were three words, followed by a number. She smiled as she read it, placing it carefully in her pocket. Three words and a number:

"Intelligent, condescending, discourteous"

07786 235899

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	2. chapter two

_**Hello again. Realised I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter, so just to re-cap: All of this belongs to Colfer himself, except for the mystery girl. She's mine **_:)

_**Thanks to the little, yet positive reviews. They mean a lot.**_

_**Enjoy**_

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Artemis surprised himself. He had been checking his phone, every ten minutes in fact. He was checking it so often that he was beginning to worry that he was developing a nervous twitch.

The girl hadn't called. She hadn't phoned or texted or anything, and this irritated Artemis Fowl II. How could his plan work if the subject didn't comply with the rules? Aggravated he turned back to his newspaper and proceeded to flick to the puzzle section. The 'extra-evil' sudokus always amused him. So far, his record for completion was 37 seconds. He took out a pen and set his stopwatch.

20 seconds later and he was near completion. He grinned to himself, a new personal record was about to be set. Then the phone rang. Artemis discarded the sudoku with such speed that he surprised even himself. Usually his favourite kind of challenge was defeating himself. He had just missed the chance of besting the record his one-day-younger self had set, all for a phone call? He snatched up the phone, puzzled at his behaviour. The number glittering on the screen was unknown. He answered it.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Condescending I presume?"

"Ah. Nice to hear from you at last." The word felt like dirt in Artemis' mouth, but he decided to humour her. His efforts were rewarded with a tinkling laugh.

"I'm guessing you didn't leave this number for just any old passer-by to find?"

"No. You're right. I didn't." There was an awkward silence. Artemis enjoyed taunting the poor girl. Eventually she tired of the silence.

"Right, well. Nice speaking to you." And with that she hung up.

Artemis was astonished. Why was this girl not complying with his rules? How was she outsmarting him? Well, if she wanted him to play her game… Artemis thought hard. Slowly, a devilish grin spread across his face. He would play along. After all, with all his experience of women, playing their game usually got what you wanted in the end. He waited five minutes before pressing redial. The phone rang.

"So you decided to end your silence did you, Mr Condescending?"

"I did. I apologise. How may I make it up to you?"

She paused thoughtfully. "You can buy me a drink."

"I can do better than that. I'll buy you dinner."

"Sounds ravishing." She put on a sarcastic tone. Artemis grimaced. She was mocking him!

"Dinner it is then. Do you know St Louie's?"

"Yeah. I do. Is that our rendezvous?"

"Oui madame. I'll meet you there at seven."

"Looking forward to it."

And that was it. As simple as that. _- There you are_ - Artemis said to himself _- That wasn't too painful -_ He smirked as he proceeded to his bedroom. He would shower first, then dress, and then choose his most seductive cologne. After all, the art of seduction, Artemis had decided, was definitely one of his strong points.

The restaurant was surprisingly busy. Artemis was seated at a table-for-two, next to the window, swilling and smelling his glass of wine. The mystery girl was ten minutes late. Artemis valued punctuality and this girl was trying his patience. He had never been late for anything in his life and he thought that she should really try to give a better impression on a first date. Finally, after another five minutes of watch checking, he saw her.

She was standing in the doorway, chatting to a waiter. He appeared to be telling her something that she was finding incredibly amusing. Artemis felt something he told himself was NOT jealousy. Tiring of this girl's behaviour he stood up, catching her attention, and smiled warmly, gesturing to the empty chair opposite him. She kissed her companion briefly on the cheek before sauntering over to the table. Artemis had to admit she looked quite pretty, with her dark hair curling just below her shoulders, creating a contrast to her pale skin and murky green eyes; a modern day Snow-White. She smiled apologetically, as she sat down.

"Yes, I'm late. I know. I'm sorry."

"I hadn't even noticed." Artemis lied through his teeth. This seemed to amuse the girl as she grinned to herself. "I took the liberty of ordering some wine."

"Thank you. Red. Lovely." She picked up the glass, smelling it in a manner not dissimilar to how Artemis had done just minutes previously.

"Who was that you were talking to?" Artemis dropped the question in casually. After all, a conversation had to start somewhere.

"That's Will. He's a friend. Why? You jealous?" The girl laughed her tinkling laugh again.

"I hardly think I can expect competition from a waiter." Scoffed Artemis.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Waiters are just my type." She winked at 'Will' as he passed, and he blew a kiss back. Artemis felt that familiar twang in his stomach again, and once more he dismissed it as 'not-jealousy'.

"Well in that case I'm going to have to work extra-hard to be charming tonight. I promise I won't be too condescending." It was Artemis' turn to wink; she however just pulled a face back at him.

"I've kind of grow accustomed to calling you Mr Condescending now. Are you sure you want to break the tradition?"

"I feel that that title will be inadequate from now on."

"Not if you continue with that flowery language." Artemis laughed at that last comment, surprising himself. This girl was quite good company, despite first appearances. She was certainly a good deal more entertaining that all of his previous dates. Artemis had had a hollow love life. The sex was always good, but it was… empty. Artemis was a winner when it came to charming ladies but somehow he never connected with them, however much they had 'connected' with him. Artemis frequently told himself that he didn't know what love felt like and he wouldn't be terribly upset if he never did in the future. But deep down, he knew that what he had felt ten years ago… that was most probably Love.

Artemis looked at the girl thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked, bemused.

"How old are you?" Artemis asked the question in the same tone as if he was asking, "How's your mother?" or "What's the weather been like for you?"

The girl laughed so hard she nearly spilt the wine she was holding in her hand. "You don't even know my name yet and you're already asking the second most personal question you can ask a girl!"

"What's the first?"

"'How much do you weigh?'"

"Ah." Artemis smiled. Stretching a hand across the table he spoke softly. "Artemis Fowl the second." The girl smiled and placed her hand in his, shaking it.

"Olivia." Was all she said.

Dinner ran smoothly from that moment on. Artemis and Olivia didn't have much in common. He liked literature, money and fine art, she: trashy magazines, trustworthy friends and soap operas. He dressed in the finest, most expensive suits, she preferred 'charity-shop-chic'. He was obsessed with work and she was obsessed with play. They both liked music, but of different sorts, they both lost their father's at an early age. Lucky for Artemis, he had found his again. Olivia had found you couldn't recover a father from the afterlife.

Artemis found that he had never met someone with so little in common with himself, yet he couldn't remember the last time he got on so well with anyone. She was a breath of fresh air in his stuffy life, and much to his disgust, Artemis found himself actually enjoying the evening. The food was good, the wine was excellent and the company was… bearable. As the courses came and went, Artemis was surprised to find himself actually interested in this girl. They talked about nothing of real importance, which, for Artemis, made a change from his normal conversations. Olivia hardly told him anything about herself, apart from the death of her father a few years back. "Time catches up with everyone in the end." She had said. "But it was too soon for him. Far too soon."

The evening drew to a close and as Will scurried away with the receipt and a contemptuous glare from Artemis, the second generation Fowl turned to his date. "Are you ready to leave?"

"God yeah, this place is so stuffy." She stood and Artemis helped her into her coat: always the perfect gentleman… well almost always. They left the restaurant side by side and stood shivering as the cold air hit them.

"Can I order you a taxi?" Offered Artemis.

"Nah. My home's just round the corner, we can walk."

Artemis blinked. "We?"

"Well of course you're walking me home. Can't have a nice young girl like me walking about all on her own at this hour, can we?" She grinned craftily.

"But it's cold. A taxi would be…"

"Oh Artemis!" Olivia linked her arm through his, leading him down the street. "Think of the earth! By not taking a taxi we're conserving energy. Less exhaust fumes. We're saving the planet!"

Artemis scoffed. "I hardly believe one taxi would make any difference."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. What if everyone said that? Then we'd all be just as bad as each other. Remember, every little helps!" She laughed and Artemis inwardly winced at the 'Tescos' reference. They walked in comfortable silence for a few paces. Olivia kept her arm linked through Artemis' and dug her hands deep into her pockets. _-Her hat is far too big for her- _thought Artemis _-And she wears it on the back of her head, it's practically falling off. Ridiculous.- _He shivered against the cold and felt Olivia chuckle and rub her hand rapidly back and forth along his forearm, attempting (and failing) to warm him up.

"Really Artemis. Those Armani suits are hardly practical in this weather."

"Oh and I suppose you know all about practicality."

"When it comes to clothes - yes." Olivia took off her hat, placing it on Artemis' head.

"Olivia! What in God's name are you doing." Artemis tried to remain calm as she pulled it across his hair, onto the back of his head as she was wearing it.

"There. Now that's more practical. Most of your body heat is lost through your head you know."

"Yes I do know, but this is quite frankly ridiculous. I refuse to walk down a public street wearing a woman's head accessory." He pulled it off his head, attempting to tidy his hair, which was now going in several directions at once.

"But it was warm. And that is much more important than looking good, isn't it?"

"I wasn't cold in the first place." Artemis was ever so slightly sulky. Olivia laughed again and the two reverted back to their comfortable silence, walking with their steps in unison. Suddenly Olivia began to hum. Artemis couldn't quite make out the tune, but he was sure he recognised it. The humming gradually turned to singing, very quietly under her breath.

"You walked into the party, like you were walking onto a yacht…" Artemis looked down at Olivia, but she was looking very deliberately ahead.

"Your hat strategically dipped below one eye…" Artemis felt the spark of recognition burn in his ears as a slow smile spread across his dates' face. The singing grew louder and louder as the song progressed.

"And all the girls wished that they'd be your partner, they'd be your partner and…" Olivia stepped in front of Artemis, turning to face him and walking backwards, singing loudly.

"You're so vain… I betcha think this song is about you…"

"Olivia!" Artemis attempted to hide a grin

"You're so vain…"

"Stop being so immature."

"I bet you think this song is about you…"

Artemis reached forward in an attempt to cover the girl's mouth, but she skipped just out of reach.

"Don't you! Don't youuuu!" Artemis laughed as he chased the singing girl up the street. Finally he caught her and spun her around. He was out of breath but his eyes were sparkling. Suddenly he became aware of how close they were standing and he immediately let go of her, taking a large step backwards.

"Umm, I… Are we near your residence?"

Olivia smiled an odd, crooked smile. "It's the next one along." Artemis looked down at his feet, his face burning, but from embarrassment or cold he couldn't tell. He had behaved completely out of character. Artemis Fowl II never ran! Well, not for several years. And even then, he only ran when it was completely necessary to the situation. Olivia was making him act strangely and he did not care for the effect she was having on him. Regaining his composure he looked up.

"Well, good evening Olivia. I'll leave you here."

Olivia nodded, turning to walk towards her front door, before stopping. "Artemis." She said, turning around to face him. "Thanks for dinner. And this evening and everything. It's been… fun."

"Your welcome. Although, next time, I'll make sure to take you somewhere you can't have your friend check up on you every five minutes." Artemis was privately surprised at him self. "Next time"? He had just established a second date. That wasn't part of the plan. Mind you, none of this was strictly 'part-of-the-plan'. Olivia was also surprised. It wasn't at the fact Artemis had see through her plan with Will, but that those two words were the last thing she was expecting. 'Next time'.

Walking over to Artemis she reached up and kissed him, very lightly and very briefly, on the cheek. Then she turned round and stepped into her house, closing the door carefully behind her. Artemis was left outside, his whole body freezing, but his one cheek burning.

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	3. chapter three

_**disclaimer: I own Olivia and that's it. The rest belongs to Eoin Colfer. thanks**_

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Artemis awoke early the next morning to the sound of Beethoven blasting through Fowl Manor. He groaned as he rolled over onto his side, glaring at the light seeping through a crack in the curtains. Butler must be practicing again. 

Every so often Butler would find it necessary to practice his martial arts while Artemis was still serenely oblivious to the world. He would play whatever classical composer took his fancy, at a million decibels (Artemis admitted a slight exaggeration) on the base-blaster stereo system installed in the "playroom". Juliet had affectionately named the room in which she and her brother practiced their defensive (and predatory) skills the "playroom". Artemis found this somewhat ironic.

Despite the playroom being situated in the basement of Fowl Manor, Butler always managed to find the exact volume that reached every corner of the house, without quite bursting any eardrums. Artemis was normally up and about by the time the raucous began, but unfortunately, he had overslept. This was Butler's equivalent to a wake-up call. At twenty-eight, Artemis was a little old for a familiar face politely opening the curtains and bringing him cups of herbal tea. He was only subjected to this preferential treatment when he was ill, or when his mother came to stay. Now he had to endure the music of the classics as his alarm clock. This never failed to put him in a bad mood.

Dragging himself off of his pillows, Artemis slunk over to the curtains, his topless torso illuminated by that same slither of light. He had taken to sleeping in underwear, as he tended to find pyjamas restricting and uncomfortable. He stepped into the bathroom and switched on the shower, waiting a few minutes while the heat of the water fogged up the room.

Once showered and dressed, he headed downstairs. On the kitchen table, a familiar bundle of bills resided. Artemis disregarded them with the same distaste he would an unsightly insect. He helped himself to a plate of eggs and bacon, gently warming in the oven; the joys of having a manservant who cooked. Reaching for his phone, which was in the pocket of the jacket he had been wearing the night before, he checked for any missed calls or texts. There was one.

Artemis' finger swept over the button marked 'open' as the text displayed itself across the screen.

"Thanks for last night. I had a wonderful time. -Liv xxx"

Artemis chuckled. It was almost identical to every text message he had ever received from a woman after their first date. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a template saved on phones specifically labelled "the after-date text". Normally he would delete them, along with the number, erasing both text and sender from the phone, his mind and his life. This time he merely pressed 'return', leaving the tiny text un-replied-to in his inbox.

"Artemis, you're up." The huge outline of Butler appeared in the doorway.

"Indeed I am." Artemis inclined his head. "My thanks for the breakfast, excellent as always."

The Eurasian giant laughed "I don't believe for a second that it was only the breakfast who put you in this mood Artemis. Usually you're ready to devour my head after my kind of wake-up-call."

Artemis almost blushed "Yes, well maybe I have become accustomed to the torture you inflict upon me in the mornings."

"Or maybe last night didn't go as badly as you had hoped." Butler grinned craftily, an expression Artemis was unaccustomed to on others apart from him self.

"Maybe, old friend. But maybe last night's activities were not, for once, hoped to go badly in the first place."

Butler was genuinely surprised. "You mean you have finally found a girl whose intellect and charm is equal to yours?" Artemis detected the faintest hint of sarcasm.

"Not quite. However, she has other... qualities." He returned to his meal, leaving Butler standing in suspense. Eventually he broke the silence. "I would very much like you to meet her."

At this Butler nearly did a double take. This was a first. There had been more girls in and out of Fowl Manor than Butler cared to remember, but he never saw the same girl more than once, and he had never been formally introduced to any of them. Of course, he knew his charge too well to expect any different. He understood Artemis had a very whimsical love life, and doubted that 'the one' would ever come along. But this was a step in the right direction, a very big step.

Domovoi inclined his head at Artemis, knowing better than to pry further into the "qualities" of the girl. He turned and left the room, a smile firmly etched across his face.

Artemis knew what Butler was thinking and inwardly grimaced. He personally found the whole situation very cliché; the stereotypical villain's cold heart is melted by the happy-go-lucky bargirl. It wasn't at all like him. But for some strange reason he found Olivia… different, not the same as all of the other girls he had seen come and go. She made him smile, and it was rare that the thought alone of someone made him do that. Artemis cleared his breakfast dishes away and picked up the phone.

Dialling her number, he put the handset to his ear. Here he was, Artemis Fowl II, phoning a girl! It was a strange experience. He listened to the buzz of the dialling tone and the faint ringing as it connected to Olivia's mobile. There was a click, a scuffle and a voice, that made Artemis involuntarily smile.

"Hello?"

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Olivia twirled in front of the mirror. She frowned she caught a sideways glimpse of herself. The 'baby-doll' style top made her look fat. 

"Like a pregnant hippo!" She exclaimed to her cat Lucifer. Lucifer merely stared at her, in a way only felines can. Olivia pulled off the top roughly and stepped out of the denim skirt. Standing in front of her full-length mirror, she examined her figure. She was… curvy. That was the best way to put it. The black tights flattered her muscular legs. "Man's calves" She muttered to herself, though most men would have said quite the opposite.

She was small in stature, which was the reason she almost never went out in shoes without a heel. A large collection of stilettos was one of Olivia's many weaknesses. A pair of black boots lay on the floor next to a jumper she had rejected. The girl looked round her room and sighed to her self. It really was a mess. Tidiness had never been one of her strong points. Neither had been first impressions.

Olivia was a headstrong girl, striking in an interesting way; the sort of person that would make you do a double take when you looked at her, just so you could decide whether she was pretty or not. Her dark hair fell in scatty waves just below her shoulders, and a straight fringe was dangerously close to getting in her eyes. To analyse her personality, one would only have to glance round her bedroom. It reflected her perfectly. A hopeless romantic, her bookshelf was littered with copies of trashy romance novels interchanged with books by philosophers. Religious Ethics and Philosophy had been the only subject to spark her interest at school and her 'average' A-levels had landed her in a moderate university.

Olivia picked up Lucifer and held him to her chest. Stroking his head she walked round the room in her underwear, searching through various piles of clothing for something to wear. Lucifer stared at her with his big yellow eyes, as if to say "you _do _know what a wardrobe is for, don't you?"

Sighing with impatience, she set the feline down on the bed, causing it to meow unceremoniously. After another minute of pacing Olivia finally joined Lucifer, her head hitting the pillows dejectedly.

"What am I doing Lucifer?" She scratched the fur behind her cat's ears, staring at the ceiling. "He's such a bloody know-it-all! He must think I'm so… thick." She spat the word with such venom that Lucifer growled slightly. "I mean, I haven't even got a degree for christ's sake!" She looked miserably at her cat. "And here I am, worrying about what to wear! He probably won't even notice what I look like… too busy thinking about how stupid I am."

Olivia's lack of degree had never really bothered her before. She had been perfectly happy working in a small bookshop by day, and the bar by night. She _had_ gone to university, but dropped her course half a year in. University just didn't suit her. It wasn't that the course was too much to handle, far from it. She just wasn't suited to the atmosphere and lifestyle. She preferred her independence rather than relying on student loans and crummy bits of paper stating your intelligence. This was the first time she had ever regretted not finishing her degree.

Picking up a grey jumper dress from the floor she thought about the boy himself; the boy that was worth going through all this effort for. Olivia didn't know why she was attracted to him so much. He was undoubtedly good looking, in a dark and mysterious kind of way, but he was not what Olivia would describe as 'her type'. She supposed that, being slightly off-the-wall herself, she was drawn to the more eccentric characters, and Artemis Fowl II could definitely be described as slightly eccentric.

Now fully dressed, Olivia checked the time. Late. She scurried to the kitchen, throwing a handful of _Whiskas_ into Lucifer's bowl. "That'll have to do Lukie, just till I get back." The cat stared at her, sitting watchfully in the doorway to her bedroom. Olivia took one final glance in the mirror before grabbing her keys off a worktop. "Ciao darling." She blew a kiss in the direction of her furry friend and hurriedly skipped out the door. Artemis Fowl II did not like to be kept waiting.

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_**Enjoyed? Please leave a review. I love to hear your thoughts/criticisms :)**_


	4. chapter four

**Disclaimer: I wish i owned it all, but i don't. So please don't sue me :)**

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"I'm so sorry I'm late."

"It's quite alright. I haven't been waiting long." Lied Artemis, giving Olivia his most genuine smile. She quickly returned it.

The two were stood on a street corner, the main road loud and busy to their left. Olivia had requested to meet Artemis here at eight. It was now twelve past, but Artemis was surprised to find that he wasn't that bothered. He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek in greeting, noticing her cheeks gain a pinkish tinge, though from the cold or embarrassment he couldn't be sure. She looked lovely. Black knee-high boots complimented her leg shape and the bright red duffle coat, in Artemis' opinion, matched her fluorescent personality. The Irish boy wondered whether to compliment her on her appearance. He pondered a moment, before letting his inquisitiveness take over.

"So where are we going tonight? I assume you have picked a venue, thought I cannot begin to comprehend why you refuse to tell me where we're going." Artemis offered his arm to his companion, allowing her to steer him in her desired direction.

"Well," She began, "I was afraid if I told you, you might not like it."

"Oh dear." Artemis laughed. "This does not bode well."

Olivia patted his arm fondly. "I'm sure you'll love it once you've tried it."

"It is not some strange, outlandish, unorthodox restaurant is it?" Artemis was beginning to be genuinely worried. He did not like experiencing things foreign to him without his manservant nearby. Perhaps letting Olivia chose the venue was not such a good idea.

"Relax." Smiled Olivia, noticing the slightly worried expression on Artemis' face. "It's nothing too dangerous."

The couple walked and talked along the roads and alleyways. Artemis began to not care whether or not they actually reached the destination, enjoying the peaceful, yet brisk walk and the pleasant company. He never stopped being surprised by how much Olivia amazed him. He realised he knew next to nothing about her, yet all he could think about was being near her and spending time with her, completely un-like him. He'd been slacking work lately. Of course he could afford to. Being a Fowl he never let anything slip, and as his business was illegal anyway… well, there was nothing to worry about. After a forty minute walk Artemis began to hear voices; shouts of laughter and children's giggles.

"Olivia, where _are _we going?"

"Shhhh! It's a surprise." Olivia rubbed his arm laughing, "We're nearly there."

"If it has anything to do with the childish clamour I can hear then I want no part in it!" Artemis' breath seemed to freeze as soon as it left his mouth, making a small cloud like breathing smoke. Was it just him, or was the temperature getting colder…

Suddenly Olivia whipped round placing her hands over Artemis' eyes. "Don't look."

"Really Olivia, this is ridiculous." Artemis was irritated to find himself smiling. "Please remove your hands."

She led him forward a few steps, round a corner, her hands still firmly over the boy's eyes. Finally she pulled away from him.

"Ta-dah!" She held her arms open wide, grinning from ear to ear. Artemis felt his heart drop. Behind her was a transparent plastic fence surrounding a rink of pure, solid ice.

"No. No chance. Olivia I refuse. I do not skate. No." Artemis stood completely still, arms folded across his chest. Olivia merely clicked her tongue and took his arm once more.

"Tough, I've already booked us in. It's non-refundable. Unless your willing to fork out…"

"I'd be more than happy to pay…"

"You're going to skate!" Olivia stated firmly, and at that moment, Artemis knew she was right.

He sat in stony silence as Olivia bounced up to desk of hire-skates, picking out two pairs of skates, one black one white. He had begrudgingly told her his shoe size, hoping that if he told her a size too big, he could complain they didn't fit and would not have to skate.

"Here, you get these big socks to wear as well, so the skates might be a bit tight." Olivia threw the big knitted socks, which Artemis dropped miserably. Damn. The boots would fit then.

He was not looking forward to the evening. He was cold already, and knew that he would only make a complete fool out of himself by falling over, or doing something equally idiotic. Artemis Fowl II hated making a fool out of himself.

"Don't worry Arty." Olivia winked as the two pulled on and laced up their skates. 'It's my first time too. We'll look stupid together."

This turned out to be a big fat lie. Artemis muttered darkly as he clung to the side of the rink, watching his date slide and twist gracefully on the ice. He wobbled dangerously on the thin slithers of metal, using up all his strength just to stand still. This was quite frankly ridiculous! Why would anyone do this for fun?

"Come on Artemis! It's not that hard once you get used to it. Take my hands." Olivia skated over to the dark haired boy and offered her woollen-gloved hands to him. Artemis gazed down at the gloves then looked up at Olivia, giving her a sceptical look that clearly said _-You've got to be joking-_ Olivia, however, was having none of it. She prised the side of the rink from Artemis' own gloved hands and took one each in her own.

"Olivia!" Said Artemis warningly as she began to skate backwards, pulling the unfortunate boy along. "Olivia, I'm serious! I'm really not… Oh dear God!" He swerved and wobbled on the skates, leaning dangerously to one side. Olivia moved closer to him, sliding her hands down his arms till they reached his elbows.

"We'll start slowly, don't panic." She felt Artemis holding onto her own elbows for dear life as she began to skate again. Painstakingly slowly, the two moved along the rink, oblivious to the twenty-or-so happy skaters around them. "That's it! Artemis, you're doing great!" Olivia grinned as the Irish boy tentatively moved his feet, one in front of the other, pushing himself along the ice.

Artemis felt a small smile spread across his face. "I'm doing it." He muttered breathlessly. "Olivia, I'm actually doing it!" He took his eyes off the floor, which he realised he had been staring at for the last ten minutes, and looked into Olivia's face. Her cheeks were flushed and pink but her eyes sparkled with the exhilaration of his capability. Artemis suddenly leaned forward and kissed the girl quickly once on her smooth lips. When he leaned back, he noticed the surprised yet delighted expression that started to creep across Olivia's face. Artemis blushed ferociously. He had surprised himself by the public display of affection. It was so uncharacteristic of him, yet something about Olivia made him not care about how public or affectionate he was about anything, and that scared him. He genuinely liked and cared for this girl, and this was something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Suddenly, Olivia let go. "Time to try it alone." She laughed as she skated in front of him, just out of arms reached. Now Artemis was really out of his comfort zone. He felt himself lose balance, twist and flail his arms wildly to keep himself standing before finally landing with a thud on the freezing solid ice.

"Bloody hell! Artemis! Shit, Artemis are you ok? Oh bollocks!" Olivia skated over to the boy, angry with herself for letting him fall. "Artemis?"

Artemis blearily looked around. His arm was hurting… a lot, but most of all his pride was injured. A couple of the rink's 'life-guards' had skated over to help the boy up and off the ice. "I'm fine!" muttered the Irish boy angrily "Please let go of m… ow!" He pulled an injured arm from the grip of one of the men. Olivia looked incomprehensibly worried.

"Thank you, I can manage from here." She gestured to the men to leave and gently helped Artemis to his feet herself. Supporting the crippled boy, she led him to the side of the rink. "Artemis! I'm so, so sorry. Are you ok? Oh god I feel terrible!" Artemis managed a weak smile, knowing she was genuinely sorry.

"I'm fine Olivia. Don't w… ow ow OW!" He pulled his injured arm towards his body, wincing at the pain.

"Shit. Right, lets get you over to the medi-tent." Olivia carefully helped Artemis off the ice and onto solid ground, all the time muttering and apologising.

After a ten-minute visit to the medi-tent, Artemis emerged, his arm in a cream-coloured sling. Olivia put a hand to her mouth as she saw the bandage.

"Oh God! Is it broken? Oh Artemis I'm so sorry."

Artemis laughed good-humouredly. "It's alright Olivia. It's not broken, merely sprained. I shall have to keep it in a sling for a couple of days. Lucky for you it is not my writing arm, or I really would have been angry."

Olivia managed a half-hearted smile. "This is all my fault."

Artemis laughed again. "Yes. Yes it is."

"I'm such a prat! It's only our second date and I've already broken my boyfriend." Olivia shuffled her feet miserably. "I'm so sorry Artemis. I'm so, so sorry."

Artemis moved towards the dejected girl, smiling to himself. "It's alright. I know you are." For the second time that day, Artemis Fowl II pressed his frozen lips to Olivia's. This time, it lasted much longer. Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he pulled the girl towards him, allowing her to drape her own hands around his neck. Olivia felt the warmth of his breath against hers as their tongues danced with one another. Finally, they broke apart.

"Am I forgiven then?" Olivia smiled, rubbing the tip of her nose against Artemis'.

"Yes." He replied kissing her again. "Now take me somewhere warm, where there isn't any ice."

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**I hope everyone is enjoying. I'd love any feedback from any readers... good or bad. If you read this, please please review because i'm desperately worried that my first attempt at an OC is failing miserably. I personally don't like AF/OC fics, but this one's going to have a twist later on... be patient.**

**thanks **


	5. Chapter five

**Phew... this has been a long time coming. Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've be sooo uberly busy. But the next chapter's up and I hope you like it. **

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Olivia unlocked her apartment door with a tiny feeling of dread. The place was a mess. She couldn't even call it an organised mess, it was just downright untidy. Artemis had told her a little about Fowl Manor, and from what she'd heard, it wasn't the sort of place you'd expect mess. Artemis was going to be very disappointed if he was expecting to walk into a spotless palace. She pushed open the door with her little finger, letting it swing wide, exposing a muddle of a sitting room. Artemis stepped through the door. 

"Well," he said, "this is…"

"Go on, say it." Olivia smiled weakly. "It's a pig-sty."

"It… it has character, I'll give it that." Artemis looked down at the sofa, slightly wishing he could sit down without having to shove aside magazines and crisp packets.

"You hate it." Said Olivia sadly.

"No, no! I don't hate it. It _will_ take some getting used to, naturally, but I don't hate it."

"Umm, do you want to sit?" Livvy gestured to the couch, bending down to pick up the rubbish that was scattered around.

"Can I do so without being contaminated?" Artemis joked before being hit with a rolled up magazine.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, now sit. I want to take a better look at your arm."

Livvy walked over to the kitchen and returned with a bag of frozen peas and a tea towel. Artemis groaned melodramatically. "No! Please! No more ice! Have mercy"

Olivia laughed. "It's for your arm! You need it. And it's not ice." She held up the bag triumphantly, "It's peas."

"I'd rather cook and eat them than waste them on my arm." Artemis pointed out.

Olivia settled herself on the sofa next to him. "Was that a subtle 'I'm hungry, feed me' hint?" She smiled. Artemis leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"Maybe. I mean, after all this exuberant exercise…"

"I'd hardly say ice skating is strenuous."

Artemis pulled his best puppy-dog face, the one he usually reserved only for Juliet when he couldn't otherwise get her to do what he wanted. "Fine. You can let your…" he held up his injured arm, "…broken boyfriend starve to death."

Olivia laughed, playfully cuffing him over the head. "It's not broken, and don't go all doe-eyed on me again because it totally works." She walked over to the kitchen, calling out from the open doorway "Is a take-away ok, because all I have is bran flakes and a multi-pack of prawn and cocktail flavoured crisps?"

"That sounds wonderful." Artemis attempted to tidy the coffee table in front of him. "And tell them to make it quick, or I'll start eating these peas."

* * *

One bottle of wine and several boxes of Chinese take-away later, the couple were happily seated on the sofa, flicking through the limited channels Olivia's tiny television.

"You know Olivia, there is this amazing contraption known as Sky which gives you access to," Artemis gasped in mock awe "more than four channels!"

"Shush you. Not all of us can afford to spend their hard earned, or in your case inherited, money on multi-channel systems. Besides, I happen to like the terrestrials."

Artemis laughed softly and kissed the top of Olivia's head as she snuggled deeper into his arms. _-Funny_- Thought Artemis -_I never had myself down for the "snuggling" type. Then again, I was never the type for making jokes either-_ He watched a tiny puppet bird hop around on the screen. -_Or for watching kids T.V. I guess a man can change-_

"Olivia, what is this awful nonsense you're subjecting me to?"

"Sesame Street." She replied airily.

"At eleven at night?"

"For the kids who won't go to bed." She smiled up at Artemis.

"Like you." He raised one eyebrow coyly.

"Artemis Fowl, are you saying you want me to go to bed?"

"Maybe." Artemis moved his face close to hers, leaning forwards towards her lips. Suddenly Olivia pulled back, pouting playfully.

"Make me."

Artemis smiled craftily. "With pleasure."

Keeping his injured arm well out of harms way, Artemis gently pulled Olivia to her feet, placing kisses along her neck and cheeks. The girl smiled with pleasure as Artemis steered her towards the door that he hoped was the bedroom.

"Um Artemis?" Olivia winced, her back flat against her ajar bedroom door, hoping she wasn't spoiling the mood. The Irish boy looked into her eyes.

"mmm?"

"If you thought the sitting room was a mess, well…"

Artemis groaned. "Next time I come here, I'm bringing Butler, Juliet and some disinfectant spray." And with that he kissed her firmly and pushed her into the dark bedroom.

* * *

Artemis awoke early the next morning, sunlight glaring at him through a crack in the curtains. It took a moment to get himself orientated after realising that he wasn't in his own, silk-sheeted king size bed.

Olivia.

He must have spent the whole night here. Looking across the bed, he saw the small frame of Livvy curled up under the covers. Artemis smiled as last night's activities came back to him in a flash.

He rolled over towards the body, propping his head up on the pillows with one arm, check resting in the cup of his palm. Staring at the body under the heap of covers, he silently noted that she had fallen asleep with her back facing him. That was a first. Then again, so were a lot of things he had been doing lately. This girl seemed to defy all his usual rules of dating. She made him feel like a completely different person, and he hadn't quite figured out if he preferred this person or not.

He liked her, sure. He thought she was gorgeous, witty, entertaining, smart, quirky: all the things he wanted in a women but never thought he'd find. She irritated him at times but only in the way that everyone did to the great Artemis Fowl. He liked her dress sense, another first for him. Usually he didn't take any notice in anything any girl wore except to maybe note that is was too slutty, or too revealing, or too everything. She liked a lot of the same things as him. Her home was cosy. She had this knack of always making him laugh, even when he really didn't want to. He liked her hair, he liked her nose, he liked her eyes, neck, breasts, legs… It seemed to Artemis that she was far too good to be true. She was perfect, she was human and she was real.

He rolled back over to face the ceiling, staring at the little chips of plaster that were peeling where the walls met the roof. He imagined how his future would pan out now Olivia was in the picture. They would date for a maybe a year, then he would propose, with a big and romantic gesture. She'd like that. Maybe he'd take her away on holiday, and go down on one knee on top of a mountain, or on a cruise ship, or… he would have to figure out what would really please her.

Then they would get married. Artemis didn't believe in waiting around, so the wedding would be over and done with within a few months. The honeymoon. Somewhere hot. Artemis didn't like the cold. Snow reminded him of the arctic, which, in turn, reminded him of someone he'd rather forget. When they returned to Fowl Manor, he would continue with his work and she would settle down to live a life of luxury. She would learn to cook, or if not Butler could always carry on with it. Every night they would retire to the drawing room, to talk and drink, maybe watch the occasional film. And every other night they would make love…

They could have kids. Two. Artemis III would be the first, and Athena would follow. Artemis would bring up little Arty Jr with much more love than he had experienced in his own childhood, but nevertheless, the child would still follow in his father's footsteps. There would be no slacking from a Fowl. As for the girl, he would spoil her rotten: buy her a horse and teach her to ride. He would pay for everything, and Olivia would be there, bringing up his children… their children.

Years later, they would sit in their chairs by the fire, watching their grandchildren play chess and solve puzzles. He would smoke a pipe, and Athena would tease him about it causing cancer. Their lives would be perfect, complete in every way. Olivia was everything Artemis could of hoped to find in a woman… and more.

So why didn't he love her?

Kissing her bare shoulder, Artemis settled back down under the covers, wrapping one cold arm around Olivia's bare waist. She shivered slightly, before rolling over to face him. "Morning sunshine."

"Good morning."

"Sleep well?"

"Didn't sleep all that much actually." He grinned craftily at her as she blew the air out of her lungs upwards, causing her fringe to puff up. Artemis looked at her for a moment, trying to push his previous thoughts from his mind. Olivia looked at him oddly.

"What are you thinking?"

Artemis broke from his reverie guiltily. "Nothing." He answered quickly before smiling and kissing her forehead. "Nothing important." Olivia remained unconvinced but decided against saying anything. She watched curiously as the boy rolled out of bed, and began pulling on his clothes, his exposed back facing her.

"Going somewhere Fowl?" Livvy teased.

Artemis seemed to tense at the name. Olivia saw every muscle in his back clench, giving him more definition. She looked at the back suspiciously, brow furrowed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Came the reply, though he still didn't face her. "No you didn't. It's just been a very long time since someone called me that."

"What? 'Fowl'?" Olivia laughed. "Well it _is_ your surname. I would have expected you to have gotten used to it by now." Artemis seemed to see the humour in this and he finally turned round.

"Yes I suppose," He sat on the bed smiling strangely. "Though it's usually 'Mr Fowl' these days. The only people who call me simply by my surname are my adversaries and…" He trailed off.

"…And me." Olivia crawled over to her lover, draping her hands over his shoulders. "Come back to bed."

"I can't." Artemis took one of her hands, stroking it with his thumb. "I've got work to do. But how about I buy you dinner this evening?"

Olivia kissed his cheek. "Sure you don't want me to pay? After the last disaster of a date." She looked pointedly at his now sling-less arm. "I feel I should make up for it." Artemis laughed.

"No, no. I insist. You have more than made it up to me." He kissed her firmly, running his fingers through her tangled hair. "I'll see you tonight." And with that, he grabbed his shirt and jacket and walked out of the room, dressing as he went.

"Ciao." Olivia said softly as she heard the front door slam closed. Lucifer jumped up onto the bed haughtily to re-claim his rightful place on the covers. Meowing loudly, he stared up into the face of his mistress who was still gazing wistfully at the door. "There's something strange about that boy Lukie." Livvy muttered as she petted Lucifer's fluffy head. "Can't really put my finger on it." Finally she looked down into the amber eyes of her cat. "Am I being silly?"

Lucifer meowed again.

"Right as always." She rubbed her nose against that of her furry friend. "Now, what should I wear tonight?"

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**Reviews please? Would love love LOVE to hear from you all, check that people are still interested in this and that it's going ok. And constructive criticism is always welcome. **

**love xxx **


	6. Chapter six

**Finally... here it is. Chapter six! I know it's been ages, but I've been super busy and to reward all your long waiting, Holly is here! Yup, Holly finally gets a mention. Just in case it's unclear... this fic is set in the future, bearing in mind all pre-Time Paradox books... but as I haven't yet read the Time Paradox, this fic disregards it.  
**

**A HUGE thank you to ilex-ferox for beta-ing this chapter for me. It's taken a lot of work between the two of us, believe me! So... enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer: It all belongs to Eoin Colfer._**

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He couldn't help it

He couldn't help it. Still. Even after all this time, after ten long years, he was doing it again.

Thinking of her.

But he simply couldn't help it. Thoughts just seemed to creep up on him. At the tiniest hint, the smallest trigger, a single word, the memories would pounce, reminding him of her. Now, sitting half-dressed at the end of his bed, staring at the overcast sky through the window of his bedroom, he was doing it again.

Ten years ago, Captain Holly Short of the LEP, Section Eight had disappeared. On the 18th of December, she had ceased to exist. That date had been etched into Artemis' brain and hardly a day went by without him being reminded of it.

December: it had been a strange month, both the best and worst of his life. At eighteen, or twenty-one as the rest of the world saw it, Artemis had his first kiss. Her name was Melanie, a fellow student at Trinity College, Dublin. It had been at the winter dance, an event organised by the over eager members of the university 'social club'. A club, Artemis did not hesitate to tell anyone who would listen, that he despised. Artemis hadn't even considered going until Holly talked him into it. She had teased him, telling him he was socially inept and that he should get out more. He and Hollyhad been spending a lot of time together lately.

It had started with Holly being appointed as Artemis' "keeper" as they liked to call it. It had been decided at Section Eight that Artemis should be subjected to monthly check-ups. It was nothing serious, and Artemis took no real offence at it. It was just a routine sweep round the estate, a check through the computers and a couple of questionnaires: just to satisfy the council. Nothing Foaly couldn't secretly do himself from the comfort of his own desk. He'd assigned the job to Holly because of her close relations with the mudboy. Once a month she would knock on the door of Fowl Manor and commence the check-up. Whilst at first she took her job very seriously, after the first few checks Holly became much more relaxed, sitting and chatting to Artemis.

Over the months her visits became more frequent. Foaly found Holly coming up with all sorts of excuses to visit Fowl Manor, and her visa records held more topside passes than any other member of Section Eight. Holly would claim that there was an 'unidentified virus' on Fowl's computer, or an emergency demanding her immediate attention. Foaly humoured the girl, knowing there was no real harm, glad that Holly was finally having a social life… of sorts. And in Foaly's strange little brain he approved of the mudboy.

Holly and Artemis never really did anything productive during her visits. The scans and checks took a matter of minutes, leaving the two to use the remaining visa time to their advantage. Normally, they would sit and chat over a glass of Irish whiskey for Artemis, spring water for Holly. Sometimes Butler would cook, and all four of them, including Juliet, would sit around a table discussing and comparing happenings above and below ground. Juliet appreciated having the female company and always made the most ofHolly's presence. Butler often wondered what life would be like without Holly's visits; much less lively he expected. Of course, Artemis always had to make sure his parents were out, but that wasn't difficult. The Fowl Seniors had a busy social life and were ecstatic the first time Artemis offered to baby-sit the twins. And so Artemis ensuredthat Holly's visits and his parents' excursions always coincided.

There had been a couple of close calls; like the time Holly had to use the mesmer on a sleepy Myles after he had accidentally walked in on her giving Butler the low-down on the latest Fairy technology…

Artemis snapped out of his reverie, staring out of the window at the rain pouring onto the grounds of Fowl Manor. He angrily shook his head. _She's not coming back_ he told himself, running his hand roughly through his hair, messing up the neat strands. Looking back towards the window Artemis wondered why he was in this position… again.

It was Livvy's comment that had done it. She'd called him Fowl. No one did that anymore. Root used to call him that. Foaly and Mulch too.

And of course, Holly.

Artemis allowed himself a single small smile at the memory of her voice, shouting angry remarks at him. He missed that.

Getting up and walking over to his desk, Artemis turned his mind to Olivia. She was good for him. In the couple of months since they'd been 'dating' he'd hardly thought of Holly at all.Before he met her it had been hard, almostimpossible, to get through a day without remembering Holly. But since he'd met Olivia he found he had something else to think about; someone else to focus his attentions on. That wasn't to say he'd stopped thinking of _the People_ completely, but sometimes he had a good day; Holly would be forgotten altogether. Well… never forgotten. Artemis never forgot about her. But sometimes he'd get through a week or so before something small and insignificant would remind him of her and he would withdraw into the deepest recesses of his memories.

Holly's disappearance had been quick and unexpected. That night, the 18th of December, was the last time he saw her. Her hazel and sapphire eyes dry and unblinking, her velvety voice softly telling him she'd visit soon. Her blissful smile and the slight wave of her hand as she flew off into the night, back to Haven. If he'd known then… if he'd known that would be the last time he'd see her for ten whole years, then… even Artemis himself didn't know what he'd do differently.

It had started the week previously. Holly had been on her routine visit and she and Artemis were enjoying an after-dinner drink in the lounge: he with his usual whiskey, she with one of the nettle smoothies she always brought with her. Juliet was putting Myles and Beckett to bed, the Fowl Seniors were out at their annual Yacht Club convention and Butler was washing up the supper dishes in the kitchen. Artemis remembered subtly dropping the 'Christmas Ball' into the conversation; remembered the spilt smoothie on the carpet as Holly snorted, laughing out loud; remembered that all he could do was stare at the growing carpet stain as his face gained a pink tinge.

"It's only a sordid social event. I'm not even attending…"

"What? Fowl, you have to go! It's the social event of the year!" Holly had barely been able to get her words out amid her laughter.

"Nonsense. It's a mere charity event. I donate large sums of money to charities all around the world, I doubt if they'd miss the Forty Euros from one student."

"That's not the point! You're probably the biggest geek in College, you might at least try yourhand at socialising." Holly had managed to stop laughing, but a large grin still remained on her face. Artemis sipped again at his drink.

"Butler wants me to go."

"He's absolutely right! Come on, Fowl. You can get all dressed up, have a drink, dance with girls…"

"No."

Holly had laughed again. "You're eighteen for Frond's sake! Your hormones must be going wild. You can't tell me an eighteen year old mudboy who has never been kissed doesn't want to go to -"

"Who says I've never been kissed!" Artemis remembered trying to look offended instead of embarrassed, but being met with only a sceptical look from Holly. It was as if her eyes were saying'_Purrlease. I know you far too well'_

She was right of course. The thought had crossed his mind. Eighteen and never even so much as held hands with a girl. Well, except Holly, but she didn't count. She didn't even register as a girl… not yet at any rate…

"Well, I'll thank you not to pry into my love life nonetheless!" Artemis had poured himself another glass of the Irish Finest as Holly giggled into her own drink_._

"Tell you what, Fowl, I'll nab a visa to the surface for next Friday. Then I can help you get ready!" Artemis remembered the artificial light illuminating the elf's silky hair as she tipped her head over the back of the sofa so she could see into the kitchen. "Butler!" she yelled, "We need a plan for next Friday."

Butler had then emerged from the kitchen wearing yellow washing up gloves and an uncharacteristic smile. Artemis remembered thinking that he looked slightly satanic. "Isn't next Friday the Christmas Ball?" Artemis nodded grimly as Butler's grin widened.

"Right, it's settled then. I'll get a surface visa so Juliet and I can sort your clothes out… and your hair." She had looked pointedly at the slicked-back raven locks.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

Artemis remembered Holly rolling her mismatched eyes as Butler chuckled softly. He remembered his face burning and his fists clenching. He remembered feeling very out of his depth, not in his element. He remembered taking out his drunken frustration on his unfortunate manservant. "Shouldn't you be drying dishes?" he snapped.

"Yes sir." Butler then withdrew back into the kitchen, still smiling to himself, leaving Artemis to glare at Holly and her to laugh back at him.

He hadn't really been angry. Well, maybe he had. It was such a long time ago, but the memories still remained as clear as if they'd happened yesterday. Holly had turned the subject back to Artemis' love life, much to his disgust.

"I think we need to find you a date."

"I think you've forgotten who you're talking to." Artemis' last comment was met with a cushion to the face.

"I think you're a socially inept, self acclaimed genius who should get out more."

"Ouch. The words hurt, Holly, they really do." Artemis had thrown both his hands onto his chest in mock pain. He remembered Holly's laugh; the harmonic, soft tinkling laughter that only she made.

Artemis, looking back on it, could tell it was obvious, even if he hadn't known it at the time. Back then she was Holly: a "keeper", a colleague, and a friend. She was never even a 'girl' to him. If anyone had even suggested… well, why would they have?

But nevertheless, all the telltale signs were there. The laughter, the increased time in each other's presence, the occasional arguments, the flirtatious gestures, the way they always found excuses to touch one another even if it was just a playful punch or a ruffle of the hair.

The following Friday had come all too quickly. That bloody Juliet had been acting as Holly's spy, deciding to secretly invite Melanie Lockwood as Artemis' date for the evening. Holly had flitted over to the estate at around five, spending the next two hours fixing his clothes and ruffling up his hair.

"I always hated all this gunk in your hair." Holly had stated, picking up a pot of shiny wax. Artemis, at around the age of fifteen, had taken to slicking his hair back with liberal amounts of the stuff. Juliet had called it his 'Richy Rich' impression. Suffice to say since that evening, since the look on Holly's face as he'd emerged from his walk-in wardrobe, fully suited with soft, clean hair flopping in a fringe on his forehead, Artemis Fowl had never owned another pot of hair wax.

That look was probably the moment it all changed. Holly had been laughing with Juliet, waiting impatiently for Artemis to emerge. "Come on, Fowl! Your date will be here any second, we need to see you looking all spruced!"

"I'm not going," he'd answered. "I look like an idiot!"

"Look, if you don't come out right now, I'm going to come in there and…

Holly had trailed off as Artemis emerged from the wardrobe. The look on her face was that of someone who'd just been given a diamond necklace by someone they'd always assumed hated them. Artemis remembered feeling unsure of himself, as if he'd just emerged naked from the closet. Juliet had laughed and elbowed the elf next to her.

"Well, Holly, what do you think? Doesn't he look… suave?" Holly didn't answer, it was as if she'd glazed over, unable to look at the boy properly, but finding itimpossible to look away. Artemis had merely looked down at his shiny, black shoes.

"I look like an idiot." he remembered saying again. This time Holly had found her voice.

"No you don't, Artemis. You look…" She had trailed off once more. There was an awkward moment as Holly stared at him while he stared back wanting to break the silence, but not knowing what to say.

Juliet, always the mood-killer, had been the first to speak at the sound of the doorbell. "Saved by the bell," she laughed awkwardly, before swallowing loudly and running off down the stairs. The two had stayed standing there, neither breaking the other's gaze, scarcely hearing the chatter below. Eventually Butler had called him downstairs and Artemis had duly obliged.

"Wow, Artemis, you look… amazing." Melanie had said all the right things. She was introduced to Butler, Juliet and Artemis' cousin 'Holly'. She gracefully accepted a corsage (arranged by Holly to match Artemis' suit) and a quick drink in the drawing room.

The four humans had sat with their glasses of wine. Juliet and Melanie did most of the talking, Butler offering a comment every now and then. Artemis and Holly had sat in silence, smiling when spoken to, secretly stealing glances at one another. Finally Artemis had stood up, offering his arm to his giggling date. The two had left Fowl Manor, Artemis looking back only once as he got into the limousine to see Holly leaning against the doorframe, smiling sadly.

Melanie had proved an entertaining date, acting as any normal eighteen year old would. She drank, they danced and eventually they kissed. Artemis vaguely remembered photos being taken that night, but he never chased that up. He didn't really remember what music was playing that night, what the room looked like. He no longer even remembered what Melanie looked like, or what she was wearing.

Holly had worn grey tracksuit trousers, a t-shirt and bleach white trainers. Her face was smooth and make-up-less and her hair scruffy and tangled_. _He had drunk a 1971 Bordeaux whilst they listened to the dulcet tones of Jamie Cullum in the calm cream tones of the drawing room of Fowl Manor.

Funny, the things you remember.

The kiss with 'Mel' hadn't been all that special either. He had requested a dance withMelanie. She had laughed at first. "God,Artemis, you're so… posh!" before launching herself at him during a particularly slow song. Again, Artemis hadn't remembered all that much except that it was… wet. He didn't know tongues could stretch so far. Soon afterwards however, Melanie had run into the girls' bathrooms and Artemis ended his evening by beckoning an amused Butler over and asking to be taken home.

The strangest event of the evening was finding Holly, still sitting in his cream drawing room, downing vast amounts of Irish whiskey at half past one in the morning, Juliet and the twins being upstairs asleep. In answer to the question, "What are you doing here?" she had merely answered, "I don't know"

Artemis sat opposite her, pouring himself a glass of the liquor, against his better judgement, knowing full well by the lightness of his head that he'd had enough to drink. He stared intently at her face. She didn't look at him.

"So how was it?" Holly's voice was a monotone, devoid of emotion.

"Fine," he had replied.

"Did you dance with Meredith?"

"Melanie."

"Whatever."

The silence was stony cold, but as thick as butter, broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall. Holly eventually repeated her question.

"Well, did you?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Fine."

"Great." Holly had downed her glass in one, wincing at the strength. "Frond, I shouldn't have stayed. I need to go. I don't…" She stood up, swaying slightly. Artemis recalled his eighteen year-old self sighing exasperatedly and standing with her.

"Holly, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She stumbled forward a step as Artemis reached out to stop her falling. "Don't touch me!" she had yelped loudly as Artemis shushed her.

"Holly, sit down. How much have you had to drink? What are you still doing here?" Artemis ran his hands through his untidy hair, noticing Holly's eyes following his every move. The two stood there in silence for several seconds, though Artemis remembered it feeling a lot, lot longer. Eventually Holly had spoken.

"Do you want me to go?"

"No." He had answered truthfully, not really sure why. He remembered Holly's mismatched eyes boring into his own as he heard his heart thud in his chest. He took a step forward, unsure of what he was doing, or why he was doing it. He remembered the smell of his mother's incense in the room, mixed with Holly's own musky scent; he could feel his palms sweating and his lips tingling. This wasn't how he had felt with Melanie, nothing like this.

But this was Holly. Holly Short. The same Holly who had saved his life, the same Holly whose life he had saved, the same Holly whose eye moved in his own socket_._ His best friend, a Fairy. He didn't understand the mixture of feelings running through his head, but he knew he'd never felt them before. He wanted to touch her, feel her skin against his, run his hands through her cropped hair and rub his nose along her cheeks. And most of all he realised that this was how he had felt for a long time, but never recognised it.

"D'arvit." Holly had suddenly stepped away. "D'arvit. Frond, what am I… d'arvit!" Her hands went to her mouth, then to her forehead, then over her eyes. Artemis stood so close, stepping forward softly and slowly until he was almost touching her. Removing her hands from her eyes he had bent down to press his cold lips to hers. To his surprise she didn't back away, instead she had kissed him back, softly and cautiously, but nevertheless she kissed him back.

Egged on by the drink and her response, Artemis had pulled the elf towards him, kissing harder. Their movements were awkward and clumsy. Roughly pulling at clothes, undoing buttons and zippers, ripping off socks and shoes. Artemis moved with the slow caution of a novice, Holly: the fierce determination of someone who had been out-of-the-game too long.

He remembered falling up the stairs, gasping for breath as they entangled themselves, leaving various items of clothing strewn around the house on their way to the bedroom. They had collapsed onto his four-poster bed, modesty forgotten. Fiercely clutching at one another as if their very existence depended on it…

Artemis shook his head roughly, rubbing at his moist eyes. The memories were always painful, the images so vivid. He had been so happy, so content, so… in love.

Sometimes, at night, Artemis could still hear her husky breath tickling his ears. "I love you." Sometimes, he even replied out loud. When he dreamed of her, he dreamt of a soft "Merry Christmas", a sad smile, and a wave.

And that was it. She had left in the early hours of the morning, collecting her clothes and leaving through the window, flying into the crisp, morning air. Maybe that wasn't even a memory, merely an image conjured up by his imagination, a hope. All he knew was that he woke up alone in his king sized bed, and that it had been devoid of her presence ever since.

She'd said she'd call. She said she'd visit again soon. She'd said she'd straighten everything out when she got back to Haven. She'd said that they'd work it out, and he believed her. When he didn't get a call he worried. Artemis Fowl II was worried, and that didn't happen often.

He tried to call her, but "the number you have dialled is no longer available". Emails were "returned to sender", pages were ignored, and even fairy communicators were signal-less. It was as if Fowl Manor had been cut off from the fairy world altogether.

At first he had just been angry. Angry at her for lying to him, angry at himself for believing it. He spent months taking it out on everyone else, shouting at his parents, snapping at Butler and just being an all-round prick. Poor Melanie became the victim of a particularly nasty "prank" involving some pictures, Photoshop and a 'round robin' email to members of the student body. Needless to say, Melanie transferred to another university weeks later.

Anger soon gave way to worry once more. Artemis began delving deeper into the Fairy world, hacking into the LEP databases, looking for traces of Holly and her recent activities. But there was no record of her anywhere. According to the LEP files, there was no Holly Short. There was no birth certificate for her either. No graduation document, no gym memberships, nothing. She didn't exist. She never had existed.

Artemis spent days locked in his study, coming out only to attend to essential bodily functions. Only Butler was allowed in the room and that was very infrequently. He hacked into every fairy database he could find, trying in vain to contact Foaly, searching sites on the web for 'freak sightings', extra-terrestrial activity, anything that would lead him to Holly.

What followed was another wild goose chase; similar to the one he and Butler had taken part in when he commenced his Fairy research. Unfortunately this one produced no positive results.

"Artemis, I know there's nothing you can't do." Butler had said. "I've never doubted that for a second. But I think what's done here is done. There's nothing more to do. It's not a question of whether you can or can't, there's nothing left to follow up. _The People_ have cut off communications with us and there's nothing left for us to do."

Artemis had merely answered, "I would kidnap another fairy if I had to." It was then that Butler knew his efforts were futile.

After two years, two long years of deceiving the parents, following false trails, three near run-ins with the police and trips to destinations in over forty-three different countries, Artemis stopped looking.

He withdrew into his thoughts and memories, driven mad by the thought that maybe he'd missed something, or was being outwitted. Butler feared for his charge's sanity and begged him to see a counsellor but at twenty, Artemis had finished with it all.

For his twenty-fifth birthday, Artemis' parents gave him Fowl Manor. They bought a large house on the coast to raise Myles and Beckett, taking Juliet, the newly appointed bodyguard of both twins, and left Butler and Artemis to fend for themselves in the manor house. At first Artemis had welcomed the isolation, the silence, the freedom to do whatever he wished with no one else to answer to. But, eventually, that elation gave way to loneliness. A massive, fourteen-bedroomed manor house doesn't offer much by the way of company. During the day he would work, plot, spending all his time and energy working and trying not to think of her; in the evenings he and Butler would talk, like old friends did. Artemis had decided that there was no point in being irrational. He had to continue without _The People_, without her.

_'Maybe that's why I turned to sex'_ Artemis looked back on all his past 'experiences'. The Fowl boy had quickly learned how to use his quick wit, charm and understated good looks to his advantage. At first it was a retreat. Artemis genuinely believed he could replace the elf with another girl. But the relationship didn't work out. Neither did the next one, or the next, or the next. No relationship lasted more than a week, it seemed no one could fill the gaping hole left by his only true friend.

He still dreamed about her. Sometimes, in the evenings, helet himself brood over her disappearance, when he'd opened the Irish whiskey… Butler had learned that the whiskey was a bad sign. It meant he was thinking of her. But after ten years, the manservant had given up hope of consoling his charge. Artemis was beyond that now. He was over it. He knew that Butler thanked whatever Gods were watching over them, that Artemis hadn't fallen apart. What little Butler knew about psychology told him that children with 'disrupted' childhoods became very unstable characters. While he wouldn't describe Artemis as 'unstable' exactly, he'd certainly had a disrupted childhood. But finally, apart from the extremely active sex-life, it seemed Artemis had returned to normality. And so Butler allowed the little moments with a drink, after all he needed some sort of outlet.

But that comment, that name: "Going somewhere, Fowl?" It had burned Artemis, touched him like a hot poker. It was then he had realised. In some ways Olivia was Holly's opposite, but in others they were so similar. And that worried him. He couldn't be with someone like Holly, not after…

Artemis got up, striding to the bathroom, over to the sink, splashing his face with icy water. Looking into the mirror he stared at his reflection. His wax-less hair, his mismatched eyes, the fact he no longer sneered at every poor passer-by on the street: that was her doing. It was all thanks to her. Artemis grabbed a towel, rubbing it roughly over his face before throwing it onto the floor.

"Enough now," he said to his reflection. "Enough."

* * *

**So... what did you think? A tad angsty I guess, but I think it works. Would love to hear your thoughts!  
**


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